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The Alabama quarter is the second
quarter of 2003, and the 22nd in the
50 State Quarters® Program. Alabama
became the 22nd state to be admitted
into the Union on December 14, 1819.
The Alabama quarter design features
an image of Helen Keller with her
name in English, and in a
reduced-size version of braille. The
Alabama quarter is the first U.S.
circulating coin to feature braille.
An Alabama long leaf pine branch and
magnolias grace the sides of the
design, and a "Spirit of Courage"
banner underlines the central
image.
Helen Keller was
born at "Ivy Green" in Tuscumbia,
Alabama, in 1880. When she was a
small child, an illness destroyed her
sight and hearing and, consequently,
depriving her of the senses by which
we normally learn to speak. Despite
her disabilities, Helen Keller
learned to speak and read using the
raised and manual alphabets, as well
as Braille. Miss Keller also
graduated with honors, receiving her
Bachelor of Arts degree from
Radcliffe. She went on to publish
numerous books, articles and
essays.
Helen Keller
lived out her life addressing social
issues for disabled persons and
women. Every year at "Ivy Green," a
weeklong celebration is held to
commemorate her lifetime of
accomplishments and her "Spirit of
Courage."
In January 2001, Governor Don Siegelman
announced a statewide competition for
Alabama schools to submit concepts for the
Alabama quarter. Of the thousands of
concepts submitted, Governor Siegelman
forwarded three to the United States Mint:
Helen Keller, Alabama's role in social
movements, and Alabama's social and
economic history. The United States Mint
returned five candidate designs to the
Governor's office where the final selection
of Helen Keller, "Spirit of Courage," was
made.
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The Alabama quarter depicts
an image of Helen Keller with her
name in English, and in a
reduced-size version of Braille. An
Alabama long leaf pine branch and
magnolias grace the sides of the
design, and a "Spirit of Courage"
banner underlines the central
image..
United States Mint
image
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To
learn even more about the
State Quarters Program, please
visit,
The United States
Mint
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